The Ozobots Are Here!

As a fellow chapter leader wrote, the Ozobots have landed! I was thrilled to have a box waiting for me on Thursday morning.  It was filled with five new Ozobots.  I had actually wanted an Ozobot months ago and I am so excited to now have a set of five.  Thank you, Ozobot and Imagination Foundation!  

We finally had our first official club day and I had thirty kids who came to the media center.  They have been coming to the library for regular classes so I had already introduced them to Caine’s Arcade and the Imagination Chapter.  We had also done the marshmallow challenge and celebrated International Dot Day. Fridays are Club Day for fifth graders at our school. These were the kids who would go more in-depth with the Imagination Chapter activities.

The first order of business was decorating their journals/sketchbooks. Dave Hartzell talked to me about the importance of writing and reflecting during each session. There are so many talented artists in this group! Most students really enjoyed doing this. I am excited about this part.

The next part of class I introduced the Global Cardboard Challenge and the Ozobots.  We split into two groups so that there would be 2-3 students per Ozobot.  The girls used the Ozobots while the boys researched some cardboard ideas and finished their sketchbook covers.  Then we switched. SciGirls Seven are strategies that are meant to help girls and boys in science activities. That is why we split into girls and boys.  This helps make it more comfortable for the girls to lead. The boys did not seem to mind at all! By the end of class they were all working together.

We watched a short video and I gave them some handouts from the Ozobot website. Students were making their own codes within minutes. They really loved these miniature robots! They were telling the other fifth graders all about it when they returned to class.  

Our local SciGirls partner also came during the first club meet.  Whitney Sprinkle Collins is from the local NC Cooperative Extension. She is in charge of educational outreach and the 4-H Curriculum.  After the kids left for lunch she shared the 4-H curriculum with me.  Tons of great ideas! I can’t wait to explore this partnership more this year.